TDIAH

  • pridie idus octobres rites in honour of the Penates Dei — the Penates Dei were originally the penates who watched over the storehouse of the king (when Rome had such, obviously); at some point, the Penates Dei came to be identified with Castor and Pollux, but they still had a temple under their own name on…

    Read more →

  • Image via Wikipedia ante diem iii idus octobres Fontinalia — a festival in honour of the divinity Fons, who presided over springs and wells; such sources of water were festooned with garlands for the occasion 54 A.D. — death of the emperor Claudius, purportedly succumbing to a plate of poisoned mushrooms dished up by his…

    Read more →

  • ante diem v idus octobres Meditrinalia — a somewhat obscure festival in terms of origins which involved tasting old wine and new wine, apparently with the goal of being cured of diseases old and new. ludi Augustales scaenici (day 7 — from 11-19 A.D. and post 23 A.D.) 304 A.D. — martyrdom of Tharacus

    Read more →

  • nonas octobres rites in honour of Jupiter Fulgur — the deity who was responsible for daytime lightning was worshipped at a shrine in the Campus Martius rites in honour of Juno Quiritis — a divinity possibly originally from Falerii and brought to Rome by evocatio in 241 B.C. was also worshipped at a shrine in…

    Read more →

  • iii nonas octobres mundus patet – the mundus was a ritual pit which had a sort of vaulted cover on it. Three times a year the Romans removed this cover (August 24, Oct. 5 and November eighth) at which time the gates of the underworld were considered to be opened and the manes (spirits of…

    Read more →